Fourdrinier belt



Oct. 10, 1933. E. J. BUELL 1,930,336

FOURDRINIER BELT Filed Nov. 28, 1931 n H n E+L flip {P 1% Hui d :11 I H 1 a Q U 1 Zlb FIG. 2 3mm /0 w QMMQVTW Patented Oct. 10, 1933 UNITED STATES FOURDRINIER BELT Edward J. Buell, Niagara Falls, N. Y., assignor to The Lindsay Wire Weaving" Company,

Cleveland, Ohio, a corporation :of Ohio Application November 28, 1931 Serial No. 577,831

5 Claims.

This invention relatesto a seam for woven wire belts, as Well as to a method of making the same, and has particular application to wire belts which are used for paper-making machines.

5 Where such belts are made with a twill weave, considerable difiiculty has been experienced in making a seam, that would maintain the end weft Wires in position with reference to the warp wires, and yet have suflicient strength to withstand the repeated bending to which the seam is subjected during use. Many efforts have been made to solve this problem by reinforcing each end of the belt by a stitching wire, and then connecting the ends together with a lacing wire.

This necessitates excessive amount of wire in the region of the seam and tends to clog the seam opening, and thereby to mark the sheet of paper to an objectionable degree.

To minimize the amount of wire in the region of the seam, the suggestion has been made of removing the last weft wires and replacing them with silver solder covered wires, and then applying heat so as to join the weft wires andthe overlapping ends of the warp wires together.

25. This form of seam was objectionable however, for it made the seam too rigid and unyielding, and as a result, the belts cracked in the region of the seam before the fabric itself had worn out.

An object of my invention therefore, is to make a seam, which has the advantage of a small amount of wire in the region of the joint, and

also suflicient flexibility and mechanical strength to withstand the alternate bending and straightening to which the seam is subjected during use.

In this connection, my invention is concerned with a seam, which is also applicable for use with a belt having a plain weave.

Referring now to the drawing, Fig. 1 is a top plan View on an enlarged scale of part of a belt 49 having a seam made in accordance with my invention, and utilizing a plain weave; Fig. 2 is a similar view showing the use of the invention in connection with a belt having a twill weave; Fig. 3 is a section taken on the line 3-3 in Fig. 2; Fig. 4 is a section taken through part of a belt adjacent the seam and showing the picket ends opened while Fig. 5 is a similar section showing the ends in contiguous relationship and the pickets closed.

50 I have shown my invention in Fig. 1 as applied to a belt having a plan weave. In such view, the warp wires are indicated at 10 and the Weft wires at 11, the last weft wires at the ends of the belt being indicated at 11a and 11b respectively. These end weft wires are the usual wires, which are woven into the fabric during the weaving operation. The fabric is cut to the proper length, and the warp pickets are cut off: short tothe end. weft wire. If desired, the warp pickets may be allowed to overhang the weft wires and then opened as shown in Fig. 4 to admit the opposite weft wire. The two weft wires 11a. and 11b are then brought into contiguous relationship, the pickets are closed as shown in Fig. 5 and while so held are brazed together by the application of heat. If desired, solder may also be applied simultaneously with the heat.

After the brazing operation is completed, I prefer to reinforce the joint by the application of a lacing wire 15, which may be passed across the seam in any desired manner. That illustrated in Fig. 1 has the lacing wire passing over the second last weft wire, and through alternate openings across the width of the belt. By brazing the two weft wires, as hereinbefore described, I can utilize a small lacing wire, which lies below the planes of the top and bottom surfaces respectively of the belt. Thus, the-lacing wire is protected and yet the seam is sufliciently strengthened to withstand the tension and bendv ing strains to which it is subjected during use. I have found for example, that satisfactory results can be accomplished by utilizing a lacing wire having a diameter of .007 inches with Warp and weft wires having a diameter of .010 inches. I do not wish to be limited to these sizes however, for I am merely illustrating them to enable anyone skilled in the art to make the belt.

In Fig. 2, I have shown a twill weave, wherein the warp and weft wires are indicated at 20 and 21 respectively, and wherein the end weft wires are referred to at 2111 and 21b respectively. Such last-named wires are joined together in the same manner as that described for the plain weave, and then a lacing wire 22 is used for reinforcing the seam., The lacing wire, which I employ is smaller in diameter than the other wires and is passed through the belt on opposite sides of the seam, and in such positionsthat will avoid the necessity for passing the lacing wire across the top of any knuckle.

I have found that a satisfactory arrangement for this type of weave is to pass the lacing wire alternately over the last and second last weft wires at each end of the belt. Obviously, the wire 22 could be laced in a different manner, but that illustrated provides suflicient strength while allowing ample opening for drainage purposes. The principal advantages of a seam made in accordance with my invention is the fact that the brazing or uniting of the two end weft wires weft wires together and also to weld the picket minimizes the amount of wire that must be used ends of the warp wires to the respective weft in the region of the seam, while the lacing or wires.

reinforcing wire provides sufficient strength to 3. A seam for a woven wire belt, having the withstand the repeated alternate bending and two end weft wires brazed together in their straightening to which the belt is subjected 'durentirety solely by the application of heat, and ing use. Furthermore, the seam enables one to a r'einforcing'lacing. wire extending across the use a relatively small lacing wire, whereforeit joint.

is protected against undue wear, and the fullad- .4. A method of making a seam for a woven wire vantage resulting from the use of twill weave can belthaving warp wires and weft wires, comprisbe obtained. ,ing bringing the end weft wires in their entirety I claim:- at each end of the belt into contiguous relation- 1. A method of making a'seam for a woven wire ship, applying afusible material, heating the wires belt having warp wires andweft wires, comprising and the fusible material to effect an autogenous bringing the end weft wires in their entirety toconnection, and then reinforcing the joint with gether in contiguous relationship, brazing them a lacing wire. together by the application of heat, and then re-' 5. A seam for a woven wire belt, having the inforcing the joint with a lacing wire. last weft wires adjacent the seam soldered to- 2. A method of making a seam for a woven wire .gether in their entirety in contiguous relationship, belt, comprising opening the picket ends, moving and having a lacing wire passing around the the ends together until the last weft wire on each weft wires and reinforcing the joint, said lacing end of the belt is' disposed between the pickets at wire being smaller than the warp wires. the other end and in contiguous relation'therewith; and applying sufllcient heat to weld the EDWARD J: BUELL.

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